


Games

by 852_Prospect_Archivist



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Drama/Romance, M/M, h/c
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 05:44:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/794539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/852_Prospect_Archivist/pseuds/852_Prospect_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim and Blair become targets of a mysterious attacker.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Games

"Alright, already. I'm going, I'm going" Gabrielle looks back as Lulu pushes from behind the curtain. She strides over the microphone sitting in the middle of the stage and taps it. 

"Testing, 1...2...3." 

Clearing her throat, Gabrielle removes a piece of paper from her pocket. 

"Okay, Jim Ellison, Blair Sandburg, Simon Banks, and anything else dealing with the show are the property of UPN and Pet Fly. I'm only playing with them, not making any money, and will return them to their appropriate universe when I'm finished. Please don't sue. 

This should be considered a pre-slash story. It has language, angst, and comfort (pretty much in that order). If you under 18, or the thought of two men loving each other physically and emotionally, go play somewhere else." 

I make no claim to having any type of action-adventure experience, so plea ignore any inconsistencies. // indicates thoughts. 

Heartfelt thanks to my beta readers, Yvonne and Lulu. All mistakes are mine. 

Please send all comments to gdbessey@ingr.com. 

## Games

by Gabrielle Bessey  
8/2/97  


Blair had no idea where the burst of energy came from as he wrapped his fingers in the collar of Jim's Kevlar vest and yanked the bigger man behind some crates. He also grabbed Jim's gun from where it lay half under the cop. 

/What the fuck went wrong?/ Blair's mind raced as he ran his hands over Jim's body to check for injuries. He ripped off the bottom of his shirt and pressed it to the graze on Jim's forehead. Blair knew Jim had taken two bullets in the chest, but it looked like the vest had stopped them. /Those wounds are going to hurt like a son-of-a-bitch when Jim regains consciousness./ 

Jim jerked and groaned loudly as he started to come around. 

"Shh, Big Guy. You took a couple of hits in the chest, as well as one to the forehead--good thing you're hardheaded." 

Jim tried to sit up, and Blair helped him lean against the crates. 

"Shit, that hurts." 

"Tell me about it." Blair looked down at Jim and grinned, knowing the cop would remember their encounter with the Ice Man. 

Jim tried to move, but found that the impact from the bullets had taken a lot of strength from him. "Do you see anything?" 

Blair peeked around the crates and looked around as much as he could with exposing himself. "Nope, not a thing." 

In the distance, they could hear the sirens approaching. Jim turned up his hearing and heard footsteps moving away from them, then the creak of a metal door as it was opened and closed. 

"I think they're leaving, Chief." 

"Good." 

Backup arrived and fanned out, searching the warehouse for any suspects who may have decided to stay behind. When gunshots had been heard over Jim's wire, an ambulance had been called. The EMTs waited for the "all-clear" signal, then moved in to check Jim for serious injury. 

Checking the graze on Jim's forehead, they cleaned it and applied a butterfly bandage after deciding that it didn't require stitches. Then, they gently eased his vest and shirt off, revealing two ugly welts on Jim's chest. He hissed when they were touched, and Sandra Jenkins, one of the EMTs, grimaced as she checked for broken bones. 

"Sorry, detective, I know it hurts like hell." 

"Yeah, it does, but it beats being dead." 

Sandra chuckled. "You're right about that." 

Blair stood aside as the EMTs finished their examination of Jim and declared him ambulatory. Sandra gave Blair the speech about watching Jim for any unusual symptoms and let them go. He helped Jim out to the truck and loaded him into the passenger seat, then circled around to climb behind the wheel. Jim's cell phone rang, causing the detective to wince before he answered it. 

"Ellison. Hey, Simon. No, I'm fine. Blair's taking me home now. No, they escaped. I don't know where they came from. Yeah, I'll be in to fill them out tomorrow. Bye." 

Jim hung up the phone, and Blair quickly glanced over at him. 

"God, the paperwork never ends." 

Blair grinned, glad and relieved that a different type of paperwork didn't have to be filled out. "I don't have classes tomorrow, so I can help with that." 

"Thanks, Chief." Jim leaned his head back against the seat and turned the pain dial down as far as he could. 

They made it into the loft with little problem, and Blair stood and watched as Jim slowly made his way upstairs. He was relieved that they'd gotten groceries the other day--the thought of leaving the injured detective made Blair distinctly uncomfortable. He tossed some pasta salad together and set the table. He was just about to go upstairs when Jim made his way down the steps. 

He'd changed clothes and left his shirt unbuttoned, revealing the bandages around his ribs. Blair winced as he looked at him, and Jim noticed the inadvertent reaction. 

"I'm fine, Chief, really. I've been hurt worse." 

"Yeah, I know, but I still don't know what happened. I mean, all of the sudden you were down. You didn't sense anything at all?" 

Jim sat down at the table and thought for a minute. "I heard this scraping sound, and as I was trying to identify it, someone fired, and I went down." 

Blair joined him at the table after filling two glasses with water and putting them next to their plates. He was quiet for a long time, turning the whole situation over in his head. 

"I heard those gunshots, and I thought my heart had stopped." Blair looked down at his plate as he spoke softly. 

"I slipped into the warehouse to try and find you--God, I was so afraid you were dead." 

Jim smiled gently at his friend. "Thanks for being there for me, Chief. I know I can count on you." 

Blair tried to smile, but he still couldn't figure out why this had happened. "There wasn't supposed to be anyone there except your contact. What happened to him?" 

Jim grimaced as he reached for his water. "He's dead--bullet through his temple. Whoever these guys are, they are playing for keeps." 

"That's what scares me." Blair speared some pasta with his fork and put it in his mouth. 

"Me, too, Chief--me, too." 

The loft was quiet as they finished dinner. Blair cleaned up the dishes, and they sat on the balcony to enjoy the balmy spring evening. After a few hours, Jim headed up to bed, and Blair turned on his laptop to finish writing a test.   
  


* * *

A few days later, Blair fumbled with the keys to his office, bending his head as he squinted at his key ring. Feeling an instant, searing pain on his cheek, he looked over and saw the bullet splinter the wood underneath his name. 

"Oh, shit." He dove into the office and slammed the door shut, locking the door and dragging a chair over to shove it under the doorknob. Racing behind his desk, he dropped behind it and grabbed his phone to dial 911. 

Jim heard the report over his scanner. Even though it didn't mention what building was involved, he knew that his Guide was in trouble. Lights and sirens cleared a path all the way to the parking lot. Greeting the officers in front of the building, Jim made his way through the halls to Blair's office. Talking patiently through the door, a uniform was trying to persuade Blair to come out. 

"No way, man. I don't know you, and I'm not coming out until someone from Major Crimes shows up." 

Jim smiled at his partner's logic, then tapped the exasperated policeman on his shoulder. "I'll handle this," Jim looked down at the officer's name tag, "Officer Blake." 

"Blair, open the door." 

"Jim?" 

"Yeah, Chief. Whoever took a shot at you is probably long gone with all these cops here." 

He heard the scrape of the chair against the floor, then the click of the lock as it was turned. When the door opened, he saw Blair push the curls off his face as he pressed a towel to his cheek. 

"Are you okay?" Jim brushed Blair's hand out of the way so that he could inspect the wound. 

"Yeah, man, it's just a graze." Blair looked down at the bloody cloth. "Can we get out of here?" 

"Sure, Sandburg." Jim moved toward Officer Blake and informed him that he would take his partner home to make sure his injury wasn't more serious, then have him fill out a report in the morning. 

Jim came back to stand in the doorway. "They'll take your statement in the morning, Chief." 

Jim stepped aside so that Blair could exit his office. The younger man grabbed his backpack from a chair and hesitated a moment before he stepped into the hall. Jim squeezed Blair's shoulder, and Blair looked up at him with grateful eyes. 

"Thanks, Jim." It was only loud enough for a Sentinel's ears. 

Later that night, Jim could hear Blair pacing his room and muttering. Knocking on the door, he checked on his partner to make sure the graze wasn't producing any strange symptoms that would warrant a trip to the ER. 

"You okay, Chief?" 

Blair stopped pacing and stared at Jim, the glasses making him look even younger. "Yeah, Jim, just puzzling over what happened today." 

"It's not like it hasn't happened before, Chief." Jim leaned against the doorframe. 

Blair smiled briefly. "True, but we're usually neck deep in a case. We're not working on anything big right now. I don't think the computer hackers from the Simpson case would use guns--they'd just destroy all of the records they could get their hands on." 

Blair began to pace again. "No, this feels weird, different." He straightened suddenly and turned to face the older man. "And it all started in the warehouse when you didn't sense anyone coming before you were shot." 

He moved past Jim so that he could widen the circle of his pacing to include the living room. Jim moved to the couch and sat down gingerly, his ribs still sore from the ambush. He watched as Blair weaved a path through the living room as he continued his musings. 

"There must have been something to distract you from picking up whoever shot you. I really think you should concentrate and try to relive those moments right after you found Burkhart shot." 

Blair sat down on the couch and focused on Jim. Jim smiled and leaned back, giving in to his Guide as he tried to remember *exactly* what happened before he was shot. 

"Okay, Jim, take a deep, cleansing breath. That's good. Now concentrate and focus on the moments right after you found the body." Unconsciously, Blair followed his own advice and began to breathe deeply and slowly in rhythm with the Sentinel. 

Jim brought the warehouse into view in his mind and retraced his steps. "I felt for a pulse and checked the body for anything that might tell me why he needed to see me." 

A frown marred Jim's forehead as he remembered. Blair put his hand on Jim's arm when he saw the expression on Jim's face. 

"What is it, Jim?" 

"There's a sound, some kind of whirring sound that suddenly went off the chart and practically deafened me, and there's a bright light that flashed off something metal--so bright it blinded me for a second. That's when I heard the gun cocking, then felt the bullets hit." 

Jim shook his head to try and clear his mind. Blair pinched his nose under his glasses. "Damnit, Jim, that's why I need to be with you. You could have zoned out on those sensations--at the very least you were lucky they didn't totally incapacitate you." 

"Hey, Chief, I'm fine. It was a fluke, but that still doesn't get us any closer to who tried to shoot both of us." 

Blair grimaced and got up to make himself a cup of tea. "No, it doesn't. That's the part that really bothers me, Jim. We have to play by this psycho's rules, and we don't have the rulebook." 

Jim stared at Blair as he made his way into the kitchen. /He's taking this rather well. After three years of working with me, he's getting used to it. Why does that bother me?/ 

Blair returned to the sofa and wrapped his hands around his mug. "Maybe we should try to go over to the warehouse again. There may be something we can use to help track this person down." 

Jim nodded. "It's as good a place to start as any, Chief."   
  


* * *

Sera slowly caressed the stock of her rifle as she cleaned it. /Oh, yes, my beauty. Very soon it will be time to hunt again, and I believe we have a worthy adversary this time./ 

She finished cleaning the weapon and placed it back in its case. Setting the case on the floor, she ran a finger over the newspaper clipping. With a grin, she circled the faces in the photo with a red magic marker. 

"Well, Detective Ellison and Mr. Sandburg, we're going to see just what you're made of." 

Humming, Sera made her way into the bathroom to settle into the bubble bath she'd drawn and contemplate the logistics of her latest hunt.   
  


* * *

When Blair didn't show up at the station at lunch, Jim wasn't too worried. After all, the grad student usually got roped into conversations with students who were worried about their grades or simply wanted Blair's attention. When he didn't show up at 3:00, Jim called over to Blair's office, a prickly sense of fear starting to race through his mind. 

Leaning into Simon's office, Jim told him he was going to check on Blair since the younger man wasn't answer his office phone or his cell phone. 

Simon nodded. "Be careful, Jim. Somebody is enjoying this little game of toying with you and Sandburg." 

"Yeah, Simon." 

Hurrying, Jim made his way down to the garage and was merging into traffic within minutes. He pulled into a parking spot and practically ran to Blair's office--the warning voice in his head screaming by this time. Walking into the office, he stopped suddenly, noticing the exotic sweetness in the air. It was too still in here. Everything was neatly arranged--which immediately told Jim something was wrong. He saw the envelope sitting on his desk with his name on it and carefully picked it up. Jim turned up his sense of touch, but couldn't find anything wrong with the paper. He opened it to find an engraved note--the monogrammed S a golden swirl against the heavy cream-colored paper. 

His heart skipped a beat as he read it. 

> Detective Ellison 
> 
> I knew it wouldn't take long for you to wonder where you partner was. For the moment, he's quite safe, I assure you; however, his continued enjoyment of life depends entirely upon you. 
> 
> Go down to the harbor to John's Boat Rentals--you'll find a boat waiting with instructions on where you need to go. Don't call your fellow officers--come alone or Mr. Sandburg will be left on your doorstep with a bullet in his brain. 
> 
> I'll explain the rules when you arrive. The game's afoot. 
> 
> S 

Jim's fists clenched, and the paper crumpled as he raced back to his truck and headed for the harbor.   
  


* * *

To the general public, Jim appeared very calm. He was polite to the guy who provided the keys to the boat, who could only tell him that a looker had reserved it for him and paid in cash. 

"Left me a real good tip." The young man's eyes glazed a little as he remembered her. 

"Thank you." 

If Blair had been there, he would have noticed the jaw clenching and would have hurriedly moved of Jim's way. Stepping into the speed boat, he picked up the envelope and ripped it open. 

> Jim, 
> 
> May I call you Jim? Thank you, it seems that I've known you so long that Detective Ellison is just a tad too formal. 
> 
> Sorry, I'm rambling a bit. Please start the boat and head out of the harbor. Once you're at sea, take a southeastern tack to 67.2 degrees south. You'll be on the water for approximately 30 minutes. There will be an island--I'm sure you won't have a problem seeing it. 
> 
> Tie the boat at the dock and follow the path up to the house. The door will be open, and Mr. Sandburg, or should I say Blair, will be waiting for you. 
> 
> I am looking forward to meeting you, Jim. 
> 
> S 

With a muffled curse, Jim cast off and followed the directions.   
  


* * *

Blair shook his head and tried to flip the offending curl off his nose. He'd been tied to the chair for four hours, and, to be honest, he was getting tired of it. 

True, the woman was exotic and sensuous--a deadly combination to the male of the species; but he found it ironic that she really was deadly. He hadn't seen the blow that incapacitated him, not fully waking up until the sting of rope scraping against his wrists brought him out of his stupor. 

He hissed as she finished knotting the rope and looked up into gold eyes that stared at him from an elegant face. He would have said she was beautiful if he hadn't seen the pure malevolence behind those eyes, as well as the indifference to someone else's pain. 

With a long, manicured finger, Sera gently stroked Blair's bottom lip. "Welcome back, Mr. Sandburg...or may I call you Blair?" 

"Where am I?" 

"Safe...for the moment. I apologize for the bump on your head. I didn't think you would just pick up and come with me when I asked." 

"What do you want with me?" Blair tested the knots that held the rope in place, succeeding only in rubbing some skin off his wrists. 

"You still haven't answered *my* question about your name." Sera folded her arms across her chest. 

Blair was getting angrier by the minute. "Go to hell." 

"Tsk, tsk. That wasn't very nice." Sera leaned back and smiled. The smile never left her face as she backhanded Blair, leaving a long, bloody slice in his cheek from the diamond ring that adorned her finger. 

"Now, let's try this again. May I call you Blair?" 

Blair narrowed his eyes as he looked at her, feeling the blood trickle down his cheek. An irrepressible thought filled his head as he decided he'd now have twin scars on his cheeks. 

"Sure, knock yourself out." 

Sera laughed, a melodic sound that grated on Blair's nerves because he was just beginning to discover what she was capable of. 

"Thank you. Now, let's address your question of exactly why I've invited you to my party." She sat down on his lap and began to idly stroke his hair, wrapping curls around her fingers. 

Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "Because you're psychotic?" 

A vicious yank brought tears to his eyes, causing Sera to smile in satisfaction. "That wasn't very nice, Blair." 

He remained silent, and Sera patted him on the cheek. "That's so much better, isn't it? I really don't enjoy this, you know." 

Blair bit his tongue to keep himself from retorting to her sarcasm. When she realized that he wasn't going to respond, she sighed heavily and got up, pacing around the chair as she explained why he was here. 

"I'm an avid reader. I enjoy reading great classical literature," Sera turned and winked at Blair, "but I'm not above the occasional Harlequin." 

She moved to stand behind Blair, carefully kneading his shoulders. She leaned down and whispered in his ear. "But I'm especially fond of dissertations." 

Blair went rigid as he finally connected what she wanted. "You're after Jim." 

Sera stood back and clapped her hands. "Excellent, Blair." 

Moving around to face him, she smiled as she patted his cheek. "Yes, I read your dissertation and was simply fascinated. I've been watching you for a long time, trying to find out who your subject was. Imagine my surprise when I discovered Detective Ellison--the living embodiment of your research." 

Sera began to pace again, her voice animated as she continued to explain. "Some people argue that I have more money than I should, that I use it to put myself above others. Well, I have used it to get what *I* want, so I'll give them that. While I feel that money has certainly afforded me many luxuries, it is by no means a replacement for intelligence. Wouldn't you agree?" 

Blair stared at her, his mind clicking along as he tried to figure out a way--any way--to warn Jim. 

Taking his silence as agreement, she proceeded. "One of the great passions of my life, besides reading, is hunting. I've hunted the white Bengal, I've hunted the black rhino, I've even hunted lions, but nothing has ever managed to provide much of a challenge...until now." 

Horror filled Blair's eyes as he realized what she was saying. "You're going to hunt Jim?" His voice rose with incredulity. 

"It's perfect. Not only is man, as a species, the ultimate prey--Detective Ellison is the ultimate challenge. He's an ex-Ranger, he's a police officer, and he's a sentinel. I think that hunting him will be my most amazing accomplishment." 

She stopped and tapped a finger against her chin. "I have no idea how I'll top that." She shrugged and turned to face the young man. 

Blair was livid, and he felt as if he were going to bust a blood vessel as he stared at her. 

"If you hurt him, I will cut out your fucking heart and feed it to the wolves." 

Sera laughed as she stared at him. "And how do you plan to accomplish that?" 

"You think you've got it figured out, don't you? You're wrong. Jim is the best, and he's not some animal who only knows the boundaries of nature. He's been trained by the best, and he will take you out before you even know he's there." 

Blair laughed for a moment, an almost hysterical sound coming from his lips. 

"You're a sad, twisted individual with delusions of intelligence, and you're no match for Jim Ellison." 

Sera's fist slammed into his cheek, and Blair passed out. 

She looked at him, then shrugged, shaking her hand as she moved into her room to get ready for the Sentinel's arrival.   
  


* * *

Jim docked the boat and tied it down. Pulling his gun, he eased up the path and onto the front porch. Testing the door knob, he turned it slowly and stepped into the grand foyer. 

"Welcome, Jim." The voice called to him from his left. 

When he stepped into the study, his jaw clenched. Blair's head was tilted back, and there was a Bowie knife pressed to his jugular. Jim stared at the woman who held Blair by his hair. 

She was tall, almost 6 feet, with a riot of black curls framing an elegantly curved face. Gold eyes stared at him, and warm, red lips blew him a kiss. 

"Please lower your gun and kick it over here." 

Jim lowered the gun to the floor and pushed it over, keeping his eyes on Blair. 

Sera bent down and picked it up, then slid her knife into its sheath. She placed the gun against Blair's head, casually stroking the curls. 

"My name is Sera Winthrope. We're so glad you decided to join us, aren't we, Blair?" 

Blair looked at Jim from hooded eyes and whispered so that only the sentinel could hear. "I'm sorry, Jim, she hit me when I wasn't looking. You've got to get out here, man. She wants to hunt you." 

Black rage darkened his vision as he saw the cut on Blair's cheek and the black eye that had started to form. 

Sera looked down to see Blair's lips moving and slapped his head with the gun, causing him to jerk forward. He didn't make a sound as he slowly raised his head, his eyes sliding to Jim. Jim almost winced when he saw the pain in Blair's eyes, almost startled to find a glitter of rage there as well. 

Jim growled in his throat and moved toward them. Sera saw him and pointed the gun at him. 

"Uh, uh, uh. We can't have you starting the game before I'm ready, can we?" 

Stepping around so that she was between Blair and Jim, Sera smiled at the detective. 

"I'm going to explain the rules of the game, and I'll use small words so that you'll understand everything. I like to hunt--it gives me the chance to fully test my abilities. The only problem is, I've pretty much hunted everything worth hunting." 

She paused for a moment to stare at Jim, making sure he was still with her. "As I explained to Blair, I've always had a passion for reading as well. When I read his dissertation, I knew I'd found the ultimate prey. I knew that when I hunted and beat a Sentinel, I would have reached the peak of my life. The only problem was, Blair never mentioned who that sentinel was--so I began to watch him. It took a while, but I finally figured out that *you* were the Sentinel." 

Jim stared at her. "You shot me at the warehouse." 

Sera laughed. "I knew you were wearing a vest, that's why I didn't put a bullet in your brain." 

"And you shot at Blair." 

"Again, I knew what I was doing. I just wanted to throw people off track. Right now, I imagine your colleagues are looking through previous cases to find out who would have a grudge against the two of you. They'll never figure it out--they never do." 

Sera moved back to stand next to Blair. "Okay, here are the rules. Beyond the courtyard, is a jungle. This island is five miles in diameter--95 percent of it is jungle growth. I'm going to give you a 20-minute head start, then I'm going to track you down and kill you. If you don't agree, I'll kill Blair now, then kill you. It seems an easy enough choice to me." 

Sera stroked the barrel of Jim's gun along Blair's cheek. Jim stared into Blair's eyes and watched him nod at the older man. 

"I'll be back for you, Blair." 

"I know, Jim." 

Sera rolled her eyes. "Please, gentlemen, spare me the smarm." 

She motioned to Jim with the gun. "The timer's ticking. Better get moving." 

Jim looked at Sera for a long moment before turning and leaving. Sera shivered for a moment, his look of death spreading across her skin. Blair caught the shiver and turned to look at the woman. 

"He is going to kill you." 

Sera laughed loudly, her head thrown back, and it echoed off the ceiling. Leaning down, she pressed a hard kiss to Blair's mouth. 

"We'll see about that."   
  


* * *

Dusk had fallen as Jim made his way through the underbrush. His mind shifted in a hundred different ways as he tried to figure out some way to get Sera away from the house so that he could return and free Blair. He was too intent on sorting through and discarding plans that he failed to notice Sera had exited the house and was scouring the foliage. 

Jim hissed when he felt the bullet bury itself in his shoulder. He whirled around, catching a glimpse of night-vision goggles and a high-powered rifle as he dived further under cover. He muffled a curse as he dropped onto some rocks, banging his elbow and knees. 

Sera laughed. "Looks like I drew first blood, Jim. I know you can do so much better than this." 

When she didn't hear an acknowledgment of her first strike, her face grew angry, violence twisting her features into a parody of beauty. "If you don't play, I'm going to march back into the house and flay the skin from Blair's body until his throat is raw from screaming and his mind insane with pain." 

Sera heard the twig and swiftly turned in Jim's direction. Using her night goggles, she saw him disappear deeper into the jungle.   
  


* * *

Instinct took over--everything he'd ever learned in the Rangers came rushing to his mind as he maneuvered his way around the treeline to gain a vantage point. There were times he was afraid he was going to zone out from trying to track Sera and stay one step ahead of her. For the umpteenth time, he desperately wished Blair were there beside him. 

An hour after he began his trek, Jim found the first booby trap, carefully skirting the tripwire that would have released the spiked pole. Tracking the filament line with his eyes, he carefully moved behind a tree and triggered the line. The spiked pole swung down with a deadly "whoosh", decimating branches that were level with Jim's head if he'd been standing. Shaking his head, he removed the line and rolled it up to use later. 

During the second hour, he found flash grenades tied to several bushes that led around the back of the house. Jim cursed as he realized that Sera had been meticulous in planning for any possible rescue attempts Jim might make. Focusing his hearing, he realized that she was closer than he realized, and he slipped back into the foliage to give himself some cover. 

"Where the hell did she learn all of this?" 

Working to the east, he almost stumbled into a hole filled with bamboo spikes and covered by thick, flowery vines. The redolent perfume from the flowers floated around him, and he realized that most people would have automatically walked toward the flowers--which made him wonder why Sera did it. 

Carefully skirting the hole, he turned northeast to once again circle the house and look for a way in. 

Jim stared at the ground with a suspicious glare. The noose that would have captured his legs was amazingly easy to spot. Scanning the area, piggy backing sight onto sound, he tried to figure out if the noose was just a cover for something more sinister. Jim found a good-sized branch and triggered the nose, jumping back as it was swept into the air and bounced. As he watched it jerk in the air, he decided that she was just a sadistic bitch and that the idea of him dangling in the air--waiting for her--was her idea of a joke. 

For seven hours, he circled the house, trying to listen to Sera's position and making sure she was still following him. The foliage grabbed at him, and he fought it as he tried to stay one step ahead of her. 

/she's good, very good/ He crouched below some low brushes and watched as she tracked him 500 feet away. He'd been careful to leave little droplets of blood, but not enough to let her know he was subtly leading her back to the house. 

Using some of the traps she'd left for him, Jim fashioned a tripwire that would release the spikey pole on Sera. Unlike her version, his was designed to swing low, catching her mid-thigh and incapacitating her enough to capture her. 

He held his breath as she slowly moved toward his trap. "Come on, come on, come on. Trip the damn wire." 

In slow motion, he saw her trip the wire--an expression of incredulous surprise crossed her face as she heard the whistle of the swinging pole before it sliced open her leg. With a sickening thud, Sera dropped to the ground and banged her head on some rocks that littered the ground. 

Waiting for several moments, Jim listened for an erratic heartbeat that might signal she was waiting to ambush him. Hearing only a slow, steady pulse, he made his way to her prone body, reaching down to yank the rifle from her grasp. Yanking the filament line from the tree where he'd fastened it, Jim tightly bound her wrists and left her lying there. 

Groaning as he stood, Jim made his way to the house.   
  


* * *

The moment Sera left, Blair began to struggle against the ropes. Rubbing his wrists until they were raw, he tried to use some of the blood that dripped down to wiggle out of the knots, but to no avail. 

"Shit." His voice was soft. He rested for a few moments before trying again. In frustration, he twisted his body and tilted the chair, feeling it slip. He tried to brace himself for the fall, but the marble floor was unforgiving as his body struck it. After the pain and stress of the afternoon, his body rebelled, and Blair fell into blessed unconsciousness.   
  


* * *

He'd been hoping it was a dream, tried to convince himself that it was, but the cold tile against his cheek and the sharp pain in his head and arms told him otherwise. Cracking an eye, he looked around to see if Sera had returned. He took a deep breath and tried to lift his head. 

"Oh, God." Pain flashed through him, and Blair decided that lying back down was probably the best course of action at that point. He concentrated on deep breathing, trying to turn down the pain. 

/i've got to get out of here jim needs me please, please, please don't let him dead he can't be dead he can't/ 

When he heard the door open, he froze. Afraid to turn around, he held still as footsteps moved closer to him. Blair saw the rifle being leaned against the table as legs in tattered jeans appeared in front of him. Some part of his brain registered the fact that Sera had been wearing black pants--not jeans--but he had been hurt too often in the past 24 hours to listen to logic. Struggling, he tried to move his body away from the gun and those legs. 

"Whoa, easy there." A familiar voice drifted over him. 

Blair looked up and breathed his first sigh of relief. 

"Jim!" 

"Hey, Chief." 

Jim untied the ropes and tried to gently remove them. Blair bit his lip as the dried blood made them stick to his skin, and pulling the ropes off re-opened the wounds on his wrists. Jim gently turned the younger man over and closed his eyes as he listened to the familiar heartbeat. Opening them, Jim drew closer to Blair. The sentinel cupped a bruised cheek, and his guide leaned into the touch as they reaffirmed that each was still alive. 

"Are you okay, Blair?" 

Blair nodded. "As good as can be expected." 

A flash of movement in the corner of his eye caught Blair's attention, and he pushed Jim out of the way. With a high-pitched scream, Sera swung the branch she was holding through the glass door, raining shards on the two men. Jim yelled at Blair as they were driven apart. 

"Get the hell out of here!" 

Seeing the look in Jim's eyes spurred Blair to move. He scrambled out of the way and headed down a hall, hoping to find some sort of weapon. The first door he tried was locked, and he beat on the door with a sob of frustration. The next door opened into a study filled with shelves and shelves of leather-bound books. Seeing nothing that could be used as a weapon, he turned to leave and spotted the cell phone perched on a shelf. Blair grabbed it and tucked it in his pocket. 

The third door revealed some sort of trophy room, and Blair was nauseous as he saw all of the dead animals that hung on the walls in grotesque caricatures of life. Turning his head before he could get sick, he spotted the spear and grabbed it, recognizing the hard teak wood. He raced out of the room and back down the hall, skidding to a stop as he saw the face-off.   
  


* * *

Yelling at Blair to go, Jim shifted behind the chair and used it as a shield against Sera's wild swings. He grabbed her leg and pulled, using her imbalance to force her onto the floor. Sera kicked out and hit Jim's shoulder, drawing a gasp from him as he recoiled. In that moment, Sera's fingers locked onto the rifle, and she swung it around. With slow movements, they eased themselves off the floor. 

Battered and bloody, they stared at each other in the grand foyer. Trembling and weak from his injuries, Jim watched with disdain as Sera grinned. Raising the rifle to her shoulder and sighting Jim in the scope, she didn't notice the angry blur that hurled itself toward her. 

Grasping the teak spear in his hands, Blair raced toward Sera as she prepared to shoot the detective. The rifle clattered against the marble floor when he drove the spear into her belly. The force of his strike propelled Sera backwards, and she was impaled against the cushions of a chair, the tip of the spear scraping the wall. 

She looked down to see blood oozing from her body, and a trickle of blood escaped from her lips. Raising her eyes, she saw the hands gripping the spear, wrists bloody and raw. When she reached the face of the person who killed her, she gasped, staring at Blair with uncomprehending eyes. 

"You?!?!?" She was dumbfounded that she'd been bested by a bespectacled professor. 

Leaning close and whispering in her ear, Blair's voice was cold. "Who's the hunter now?!" 

Sera's eyes rolled back in her head as blood poured from her mouth--bringing the life of an arrogant Sera Winthrope to a violent end. 

Jim sank to the floor as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. He heard Sera's heart stop, but Blair didn't move. When the younger man didn't move for several minutes, Jim began to really get worried, but he couldn't make his body move. 

"Chief." 

There was no response. 

"CHIEF!" 

Blair turned slowly, glazed eyes barely registering Jim on the floor. With a shake of his head, he fully looked at the listing detective, racing over to him. 

Blair wrapped his arms around Jim as the bigger man almost toppled over, pulling him close to his body. Pulling out the cell phone he'd found in the library, he called the Coast Guard and Simon for reinforcements after Jim gave him the directions he'd read in the letter. Ending the call, Blair looked down at his sentinel and choked back a sob. 

With gentle fingers, he stroked Jim's cheek. At the soft touch, Jim opened his eyes and stared up at Blair, noting the bruises, dried blood, and the tears shimmering in those blue, blue eyes. A tear rolled down his cheek and clung to his chin before dropping onto Jim's lips. With a tentative flick of his tongue, he licked the tear, never taking his eyes off Blair's face. Blair gasped, and his eyes widened as Jim gently tugged on his curls and pulled him close. 

Blair closed his eyes as Jim's hand wrapped around the back of his head and pulled him in for a kiss. 

The first touch of their lips was gentle, sweet. The second touch grew in strength and intensity as they realized what they'd almost lost. Breathless when they separated, Blair cradled Jim against his chest and rested his cheek against Jim's head. 

"I thought I'd lost you." Blair's breath was warm against his forehead, and Jim sighed as he settled into Blair's arms. 

Reaching out, he wrapped his good arm around the younger man and squeezed. "When I saw you sitting there, it was like a black veil fell over my eyes. All I wanted to do was kill her for trying to take you away from me--for trying to steal the other half of my heart, my soul." 

Blair turned his head and pressed a kiss against Jim's skin, listening to the one thing he'd been so desperate to hear. "When I saw her raise the rifle, I knew exactly what I had to do." 

He leaned back to look fully into Jim's eyes. "At that moment, the only thing I could think was that she was going to kill you--and I'd never have the chance to tell you that I love you." A sob escaped him, and his shoulders heaved as he remembered. 

Jim eased himself up into a sitting position and caressed the side of Blair's face with his hand. Letting himself fall forward, Blair's head rested against Jim's chest, and he heard the strong heartbeat of the other man. Jim pressed a kiss to Blair's curls as he continued to massage Blair's head. Blair wrapped his arms around Jim's waist and snuggled closer, feeling his heart slow down to match the rhythm of his sentinel. 

"I love you, Blair." The voice was soft, and the words flowed like a benediction over him. 

"I love you, too, Jim." His answer was gentle, a healing spring that filled the detective's mind and body. 

With slight groans, they got up and made their way down to the dock. Slowly lowering themselves to sit on the edge, their shoulders touched. Jim looked down at Blair one more time, just to make sure he was really there. He heard Blair's gasp and looked up to find the sun filling the morning and driving away the darkness. Blair slipped his hand into Jim's, entwining their fingers and bringing their clasped hands to his mouth. He placed a soft kiss against Jim's fingers and sighed as he leaned against him. 

Watching the sunrise, they waited for their rescue.   
  


* * *

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